Writer / Julie Yates
Photography Provided
For more than 20 years, Noblesville resident Jessica Hancock has had a successful career as a graphic artist and digital illustrator. Her diverse clientele has included organizations and companies such as Boy Scouts of America, Finish Line and Marriott Hotels. In 2013, Hancock began to make a splash in the fine arts world and found herself exhibiting and gathering awards both nationwide and locally. Her latest artistic success is with the iconic company Pearl Drums which is featuring her original artwork on their 2019 Heritage and Stadium drum kits.
The story of how Hancock’s pen and ink drawing “The Offering: Cain and Abel” was chosen as a custom motif by Pearl Drums has many parts that fit together. The first piece involves her time growing up in Sandy, Utah as the oldest in a family of five children. She excelled in her art classes in high school and went on to attend Westminster College of Salt Lake City where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and art. After she was married and had her first child, her family moved to Indiana.
“My father, who worked for Simon Property Group, was transferred to the Indianapolis area and my family moved there,” she says. “Later after my daughter was born, my husband and I came out to visit at Christmas time. Utah was having a housing boom and living there was so expensive. Although I had a good job at that time, my husband was open to a career change. Living near family and the low cost of living in Indiana lured us to move here.”
As the years went on, Hancock continued producing art both through her employment and for pleasure. She began participating in exhibits held in Fishers City Hall, Conner Prairie and galleries in Noblesville as well as venues associated with Hamilton County’s Nickel Plate Arts. Her work began to be displayed in an ever-widening sphere and, in October of 2015, she was designated as one of 12 artists invited to participate in Butler University’s Religion, Spirituality and the Arts Symposium. The result of the seminar was her intricate drawing, “The Offering: Cain and Abel.”
Even after she moved to Noblesville, Hancock kept in touch with friends from Utah. One acquaintance was an art class buddy that she had known since kindergarten, Kevin Packard. With the help of Facebook and other social media outlets, they followed each other’s careers. Kevin, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee commissioned Hancock to design an album cover for his band, Checkpoint Charley.
“Besides being interested in music, Kevin always had an artistic side as well,” Hancock says. “He knew about my drawing and asked me to do the cover. He works for Pearl Drums and brought The Offering: Cain and Abel to their attention. It was a challenge for them and it took over a year for the drums to be produced. They had to figure out how to print the design right on the wood. The process included finishing the product with 20 to 30 coats of lacquer.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have good people in my life that have helped me bring my art to the public. Art has allowed me to develop relationships with people and that has helped me get the most out of life.”
Jessica Hancock’s work is currently on display at Evan Lurie Gallery, 30 West Main Street, Carmel or visit JHancockArt.com.
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